Fun Archives - Personal Finance (MB)

The Importance of Teamwork

July 24, 2019April 1, 2019 by Money Beagle

My son finished his basketball league recently. This was his second year playing team basketball. As I watched the final seconds tick down, I was sad that his time was ending. I watched all of the games he played in, as well as practice. It hit me that there was a big difference between what I saw when they first started playing in January, versus where they ended up in March. The difference was simple. At the beginning, they were nine 4th-grade boys playing at the same time. By the end, they were a team. It was cool to see. It struck me and I started thinking about the importance of teamwork.

The Importance Of Teamwork Everywhere

Things work better when teamwork is involved, don’t they? Think about it. Teamwork matters in so many different situation.

Review of Great Wolf Lodge Mason, Ohio – February 2019

March 20, 2019February 25, 2019 by Money Beagle

Great Wolf Lodge is one of our favorite family places. It’s become a tradition that we go during the kid’s mid-winter break. We’ve even snuck in a couple of extra trips. This year’s trip was to be our 7th experience at a Great Wolf Lodge. So, we decided to try something new and stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio. Here is our review.

Great Wolf Lodge Is Our Jam

For some reason, Great Wolf Lodge has always worked for us. Our kids love to swim. The parks are fun and family friendly. We make the experience affordable. We usually stay at the Sandusky location, which is great for proximity, but it’s one of the older resorts and the number of attractions is on the smaller end.

10 Free Things To Do On A Day Off

March 20, 2019February 19, 2019 by Money Beagle

If you have a day off, you might be looking for something to do. But, not everything has to cost money. Sometimes you can find free things to do that give you as much satisfaction as things that cost money. That’s a bonus, plus you have money in your pocket. Who doesn’t love that!

Free Things To Do On A Day Off

Here are some free things to do on a day off.

popcorn movie free things — Watching a favorite movie is one of many free things to do.

Watch An Old Movie

If the weather doesn’t present you the opportunity to leave the house, find some entertainment. Nothing is better than an old movie that you haven’t watched for awhile. Pop it in, grab a snack, and enjoy some comfort time!

11 Days Of Fun Over Holiday Break

March 20, 2019January 4, 2019 by Money Beagle

I went back to work on Wednesday after eleven days off. It was a fantastic time off. Our family did many wonderful things over the holidays. Honestly, when I walked back in, it felt like I had just left, simply because of the whirlwind of activity. Here was just some of the fun over holiday break that our family had.

Fun Over Holiday Break

December 22nd – Just Our Family

Downtown Rochester, which is a few miles away, puts lights on all the buildings through the few block stretch. It’s called the Big Bright Light Show. It’s really awesome, and we go every year. We walked around, and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

About Clark Griswolds Swimming Pool From Christmas Vacation

July 24, 2019December 6, 2018 by Money Beagle

One of my favorite Christmas movies is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I laugh pretty much from start to finish at that movie. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost thirty years old (which is why this post is full of spoilers). But then again, it is most definitely a holiday classic! A major plot point is that Clark wants to surprise his family with a swimming pool. He has already paid the deposit, but needs his end-of-year bonus to cover the outlay. A nagging question I’ve always had, as a personal finance blogger, is whether the Griswolds swimming Pool ever got installed.

Let’s run some numbers.

The movie came out around 30 years ago, so all the numbers would be completely different. So, let’s run some numbers based on today’s numbers.

As this is lighthearted and in good fun, these are just wild estimates. It’s just a little playing around!

18 Items To Take To The Beach For A Great Day

March 4, 2019July 2, 2018 by Money Beagle

Summer is in full swing. If you haven’t been to the beach, now’s the time! The water is still cold here in Michigan due to a late start to spring. Still, that doesn’t stop people from heading out and having fun. Here are some items to take to the beach for a fantastic day!

Clothing And Gear

Swimsuits. Wear them or take them. Just make sure you have them.
Towels. These are definitely an essential for drying off or laying on.
Sunscreen. The sun is hot. Make sure you don’t end up with a burn. Take plenty of sunscreen. We like both lotion and spray.
Bug spray. Every once in a while, the bugs like to enjoy the beach, too. Keep this and use only if needed.
Sunglasses. Protect your eyes and avoid squinting with a nice pair of shades.
Blanket. The sand is great but it gets in places you don’t want it to get. Protect yourself with a beach blanket.
Flip Flops. The sand gets hot. Make your walk up and down easy on the feet with a pair of flip flops.
Shirt / Cover-Up. You might need something to throw on without changing.
Change of Clothes. The day at the beach must end eventually. Nobody likes getting into a car sopping wet. Have some clothes available to change into.

The Importance of Small Wins

March 4, 2019June 18, 2018 by Money Beagle

My son enjoys playing sports, but he isn’t a top athlete. He likes playing more for the fun and the experience. The teamwork helps as well. He’s been in a few leagues with a few different sports. Unfortunately, most of the teams haven’t done that well. Still, I’m here to tell you that the small wins are important.

Past Leagues

The past couple of teams that he played on haven’t done so well. Last summer, he played baseball and I think they won one game for the year. They were mostly players who had just gotten started, and a lot of the other teams had been in place for a couple of years.

10 Reasons That I Miss The Old Internet

March 4, 2019May 21, 2018 by Money Beagle

Nowadays it seems like the Internet has always been around. For many people, grown ups even, it always has! Yet, at the age of 43, I distinctly remember the time before the Internet. But along with that there was the time when the Internet was new. Those were some cool times. Of course, all those ‘new’ things are now old. That’s the way it happens. But, there are times when I miss the old Internet. Here are a few throwbacks that many will remember.

The Dial-Up Tone

The Internet was first accessed over phone lines. You had to connect your computer’s modem to another and establish a connection. This was done with a series of bongs and boops and clicks. It was a pretty cool sound. I was such a geek that I could often tell just by listening to the patterns if I was going to get a good connection or if I’d have to re-dial.

Force Yourself To Slow Down For Better Results

March 19, 2019April 16, 2018 by Money Beagle

Have you ever had to force yourself to slow down? What about if you’re looking for better results? This seems counterproductive, but sometimes it’s quite necessary. For me, I’ve had to recently go through this when it comes to exercise. Specifically, with my running.

My Wife The Motivator

I was never a runner at all until a few years ago. In seventh grade, I joined the track team and dropped out a week later. It was just never my thing.

Why You Don’t Always Need To Complain About Price Increases

March 19, 2019March 26, 2018 by Money Beagle

My wife alerted me of a price increase for a regular purchase. She pointed out that our annual zoo membership would be going up to $99. Previously, we paid $79. At first, I was a little taken aback. After all, that’s nearly a 25% increase. But then I started doing some math. Within a few minutes I was fine with the increase. See, I don’t complain about price increases every time. Only when it’s justified! 🙂

Zoo Membership Is Still A Good Deal

A couple of years ago, I calculated the break even point for the zoo. At the time, the family membership was $79. A trip for our family of four would cost $53 without a membership. This meant that on our second trip, we would be saving money.